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RPG Metanoia

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RPG Metanoia is a computer-animated film released in 2010, the first to come out from the Philippines.

Nico is an avid player of the incredibly popular MMORPG Metanoia, where he plays as the wandering vagabond Zero. Unfortunately, that's the only thing he does well, but he doesn't let that stop him from enjoying the game with his friends; that is, until he's forced to realize just how much he's missing out on life in the real world. Worse yet, a malignant virus begins to spread around Metanoia, and Nico may be the only one capable of stopping it...

Roughly four to five years in the making, the film was surprisingly good, and showed at the 2010 Manila film festival. Any Pinoy fan of animation should definitely give it a watch.

Big Bad: At first, they were just competing against opposing e-sports teamsbut Sargo, the winner of the tournament, picked up the Helm of Destiny when Nico dropped it.

Bilingual Bonus: When K'mao generated an energy shield to protect himself and the other avatars from the collapsing interior of Watchtower 88, the simplified Chinese character for paper (纸) appeared. There are also a lot of Spanish words.

Captain Geographic: Downplayed. Nico's father's avatar wears a blue armor and helmet that has the eight-ray sun of the Philippine flag and other yellow accents but the red is nowhere to be seen. The creators may have done the research about this as it's disrespectful to depict it in whole as part of a clothing, except for authorized representation of the country like in international sports events.

The bike given to Nico the last Christmas, which he left lying in a corner, became handy when he needed to rush to the Bomb Shelter.

The Jiglie that C4SS4NDR4 saved from Zero which melted the Helm of Destiny.

Nico's computer's old video card which stalled at just the right time before the game can take over his mother's mind.

Cyberspace: Although it doesn't take up majority of the screentime anyway.

Deep-Immersion Gaming: The player characters are shown to be conversing as if they're alive by themselves (they sort of are) with occasional shifts to the players talking to each other in the Bomb Shelter.

The Big Guy: Both Bobby (for being the largest physically) and Daniel (for being mute) can fit this. Their characters Sumpak (for long ranged firepower) and K'mao (for close combat), respectively, also reflect this.

The Smart Guy: Bobby, having esoteric knowledge about the game, and Daniel, being good with puzzles, fit this, too.

The Heart: Mark fits this for being the most easygoing with playing the game in contrast with the rest treating it as Serious Business (though downplayed for the three boys who aren't Nico). Still, even he recognized that Nico had set them back.

Sixth Ranger: May and with her joining, the role of The Chick is fulfilled. She helped Nico reconcile with his friends and discover fun things in life that don't involve a computer.

Just a Kid: Averted, but you can't help but wonder just how old all the other players in Metanoia are compared to Nico and the gang.

Lotus-Eater Machine: Metanoia itself. It was originally a subliminal reality program designed to help astronauts cope up with the loneliness of space travel but it didn't go well. It was then repurposed into a game engine to not let the budget go to waste, even if their test subjects were lobotomized.

Multiple Head Case: Overseer, the robotic boss Nico/Zero was shown fighting in the first scene.

My Hero Zero: Nico's avatar. It's a very generic name but it can also mean how he usually feels inferior.

Nice Job Breaking It, Hero!: Nico's team lost the tournament when he selfishly fought Sargo one on one even when fulfilling the objective would have ended it. Worst of all is that he dropped a very important item that started the main conflict.

Only Six Faces: Subverted; every player in Metanoia seems to have a unique look.

Part-Time Hero: Well, it is still a game, as opposed to their real-life selves.

Right Behind Me: Nico said some things about May while she was about to give them invitations.

Spinning Paper: A variation without spinning when the origin of the game was being explained.

Starcrossed Lovers: Implied with the two Korean avatars meeting at the Unification Bridge. They acknowledge that it's a huge risk for them to meet there and the man calling those controlled by the Helm of Destiny as "no border patrol" alludes to the situation of the North and South.

You Can't Thwart Stage One: To the extent that not even the developers of the game can stop the virus by shutting down the servers since it anchored itself to the internet. They couldn't just turn off the computers either because the affected players go berserk.

You Shall Not Pass!: The male Korean avatar and Shishou, as the Japanese girl avatar calls him, pulled this during the respective assaults on their servers.

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